As much as I love photographing people, I also love my landscape photography. I do have a bit of a fetish for the Sun though. A lot of my landscaped images are created with a Sunset as the main feature except in this one. The tree is the main feature here. The Sun is hiding behind the tree to give that centralised glow around the tree. The eye automatically draws straight towards the Sun but allows you to explore the glory of the tree before enjoying the Sunset. Just to prove that I don't just deal with Sunsets, there's another image below created in Wells Next The Sea, Norfolk, at Sun rise!!!
Footballs Backside
These four images come from my very first photo book called 'Footballs Backside'. I've been digging through my archives to see what space I can free up on my hard drive. Well this book was when Paul Hands Photography was first created in Hinckley in the Midlands. This was my first journey in to becoming a social and sports documentary photographer began.
It's been a roller coaster ride to say the least. I'm still studying my art and aiming for my Bachelor of Arts Degree which should arrive in the next two years! The nice thing is that I'm already being recognised for my hard work and picking up the odd job along the way.
At the moment I'm on my Summer break from University and have not been sitting back enjoying the late mornings. I'm still getting out and perfecting my craft. I've been doing a bit of work on my street photography and covering events. I've also been working on some landscape photography in conjunction with my Facebook page Hinckley Photographed.
Anyway, I'm rattling along about any old rubbish here. Why don't you just enjoy these four images from Footballs Backside...
Created during Man City's visit to Wembley for their FA Cup Final match loss against Wigan Athletic.
A couple sitting on the bank of the river Trent waiting for kick off against Leicester City during the season of 2012.
So it's alright for some to walk across the pitch. I spent the day at Macclesfield Town FC making images for my book, Footballs Backside.
Carl Bakers Charity Golf Memorial Day
Carl Baker (CCFC Captain) organised a charity golf day in Coventry where about 40 People got involved in the game. All proceeds are to be donated to Leukaemia and Lymphoma research. A charity that is close to his and his families heart. Numerous organisations and People sponsored each hole around the course. This video shows the highlights of the day.
I wonder if they said that morning while sat in their caravan on the edge of the bed "I'll wear it the same if you do"?
Skegvegas Part Deux
These guys were lovely and so happy to be beside the seaside. I wondered how many times they'd sat their in all their years?
His face was just as threatening, so I thought I'd take his softer side.
All along the Seafront is tatty shops selling tatty crap. Yet the visitors love it. Year after year they flock back here and keep looking through the same tatty tat!
Paint Throwing for Charity LOROS in Hinckley
I've managed to dust off my camera after being covered with paint dust. The Mead played host to a paint throwing event all in the name of the charity LOROS. It was a colourful evening leading up to the Hinckley 5K race. All of the athletes and fun runners gathered in the mead to register for the race with their families and enjoyed covering each other with powdered paint. It was brilliant fun. The event was huge, there was hundreds of people that turned up both to take part and to watch. So big that I've had to create three huge albums in order to post them on here.
See all of the images on my Facebook page Hinckley Photographed
Skegvegas
Skegness is commonly known as Skegvegas to many people that have visited because of the number of amusement arcades in the town and on the seafront. It's the local holiday jaunt for many people from the Midlands and up and down the East Coast of England. It's tacky, cheap and often in the busiest times is really dirty. I spent a day walking around looking for what typically defines Skegvegas to me. Sadly I visited on a day when my wife Lisa had a days training with Elli Cassidy for some Newborn photography training. This meant that I was doing my street project on a day when most people were at work and the kids were at school. I encountered mainly old people and families with children below the age of school. Well here's four images that I created in Skegvegas. I have a final series of 9 images. The rest I will post tomorrow.
I'm upgrading my camera
I think it's time for me to upgrade my camera. I've been using a Nikon D90 for 18 Months now and it has served me well. I've created some brilliant projects with it, switching between the 18-105mm kit lens and my beautiful 35mm F1.8 Prime lens.
I noticed the other day when I went with Lisa (my wife) to scout a wedding location for one of next years bookings that in the Church it is quite dark and my D90 just wouldn't give me the correct shutter speeds with the kit lens. I realised that I need better results in low light.
It depressed me that my beloved D90 just can't serve me any more. I'm picking up more and more commercial work too so my clients only deserve the best. Whilst wallowing in self pity an email from Calumet dropped in to my inbox giving me details of the new Nikon D610 full frame camera.
WOW! This is just what I've been hoping for. The D800E is great but it's just so heavy and cumbersome with massive file sizes. I needed something that is more versatile. The offer from Calumet is worth me looking at this too. So a quick call to my credit card company to lower my interest rates filled me with confidence when they reduced all of my current debts from 29.9% to 6.9% for the next 2 years and re-introduced an old card with 0% for 12 months. This was an omen.
So to cut a long story shorter than what it could be, I'm upgrading to a Nikon D610 this week. Just in time for a personal project that I'm doing in Skegness next week.
Keep watching for I'm going to be applying my love for Martin Parr's work 'The Last Resort' to my project next week and hopefully with my new D610.
The Reception of The Crescent
Here's something that's quite astounding. I posted three digitally prepared images of the proposed plans for the new development in Hinckley town centre on our Facebook page; Hinckley Photographed this evening. For those of that don't know what Hinckley Photographed is, it's a community page on Facebook that my Wife Lisa and I run. We have a following of 2373 local and international people and there is an incredible amount of people that like to moan. There are some positive people in amongst the chaos but generally speaking, most people are so negative. Complaining about how long it's taken to start, moaning about the way it looks, moaning that it's costing too much and pretty much finding anything they can to be negative.
I'd like to recommend that people lift their chins up and start seeing what's good. Look for the best in things and enjoy life that little bit more. It's so sad to read all the depressing comments but a real pleasure to read those that are positive.
I personally think it will only serve to be a good thing for the town. Just wait and see :)
Bus Station Bogs To Be Demolished!!!
My Wife Lisa and I popped in to Cafe Impressions at the Atkins Building yesterday evening for a networking event held by Love Hinckley. These are a positive minded group that are pro-Hinckley, ran by Cathy Eyles and Clare Farrell, attended by some of the most influential business men and women around town. Also attended by local councillors Michael Mullaney and Mathew Hulbert who confirmed that the development at the Bus Station site begins this coming Monday 2nd June.
We spoke with the councillors and discussed Lisa and I gaining access to the development during the build so we can document the demolition as well as the rise. We'll be keeping you updated with photography on our Facebook page for Hinckley Photographed.
Whilst this is fantastic news for the town, I feel that everyone is watching. Everyone is waiting, pained by the negativity of some of the other Hinckley pages on Facebook, where all you see is moaning and complaining. We're positive that this development will live it up to its hype and will bring back some well needed and deserved positivity.
Artistic Boxing Photography
Hire award winning documentary Photographer Paul Hands to capture your boxing events in a dark and gritty artistic style. Contact me for a price. Will travel anywhere in the World. Have a hard backed book created from your event.